Bulldogs Thrash Hartford in Doubleheader Sweep

Andrew Moore (Sam Rubin '95, Yale Sports Publicity)

Mar 20, 2010

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – The Yale baseball
team scored 27 runs and hammered 31 hits in a doubleheader sweep at
the University of Hartford on Saturday, routing the Hawks by scores
of 10-0 and 17-5. Meanwhile, junior left-hander Brook Hart allowed
just two hits in a complete game shutout, while fellow junior
southpaw Vinny Lally surrendered just two earned in the second
game. Juniors Trey Rallis and Andrew Moore each had five hits in
the twinbill, while Rallis, junior Andy Megee, sophomore Zach
Tobolowsky and sophomore Ryan Brenner each homered on the day.

With the doubleheader sweep, Yale takes three of four at
Fiondella Field in West Hartford to improve to 9-4-1. Hartford
drops to 3-6.

Nine players had two or more RBI for Yale, led by four driven in
by both Megee and Tobolowsky. Rallis, senior Trygg Larsson-Danforth
and sophomore Matt Schmidt each knocked in three runs, while
Brenner, Moore, sophomore Gant Elmore and junior Andrew Kolmar each
drove in a pair. Sophomore Charlie Neil rounded out the offensive
output with an RBI single. As a team, the Bulldogs had 12 extra
base hits and stole three bases.

Hart (2-0) was nearly unhittable in the first game, allowing
just a single in the first inning and a double in the second. The
southpaw struck out eight Hawks and walked none in the seven-inning
complete game and retired the final 12 batters he faced.

“Brook was outstanding,” said Mazzuto Family Head
Coach John Stuper. “He got ahead of batters and threw strikes
with his breaking pitches as well as his fastball. He really set a
tone for the day.”

After Hart struck out the side in the first inning, the Bulldogs
started the scoring in the second as Moore beat out an infield hit
to lead off the frame. Tobolowsky then followed with his second
two-run home run of the series to put Yale on top, 2-0.

Yale would post another three runs in the next inning, as Rallis
led off with his second double of the game. He then moved to third
on a base-hit by Brenner and came home as Tobolowsky singled him in
for his third RBI of the day. The next batter was Kolmar, who
smacked a two-bagger over the centerfielder’s head to clear
the bases and put the Bulldogs on top, 5-0.

With Hart keeping the Hawks’ bats at bay, Yale extended
its lead with another five-run burst in the fourth. After Megee
legged out an infield single, Rallis went yard for the third time
this season to run the score to 7-0. After Larsson-Danforth and
Brenner drew walks, Tobolowsky came through again with a single
that scored Yale’s big first baseman. Kolmar would then walk
to load the bases, and Schmidt followed with a base-on-balls to
bring in a run. A hard-hit groundball off the bat of Elmore then
resulted in an RBI infield single, running the Yale advantage to
the eventual final of 10-0.

Right-hander Cory Beahm (0-2) pitched the first 2.2 innings for
the Hawks, allowing eight hits and five earned runs in the loss.

Yale got out to an early lead by way of the long ball once again
in the nightcap of the afternoon twinbill. After an Elmore single
started the game, Megee sent his fourth home run of the season over
the 400’ sign in centerfield to give the Bulldogs a 2-0 lead.
After Rallis was hit by a pitch, Larsson-Danforth added to the lead
with an RBI double that scraped the top of the wall in right
centerfield.

Lally kept the Hawks hitless over the first two frames, and the
Elis added some extra run support in the top of the third. Rallis
singled to lead off the inning and, two batters later, Brenner
deposited a home run over the wall in left field for his second
home run of the year to give the Bulldogs a 5-0 lead.

Hartford tacked on a trio of unearned runs in its half of the
third inning, as an error extended the frame, at which point four
walks and the Hawks’ first base-hit of the day cut the Yale
lead to two runs at 5-3.

The Bulldogs took those runs back and a lot more in their next
at-bat, posting eight tallies on the scoreboard to gain a
commanding 13-3 advantage. Larsson-Danforth, Schmidt and Megee each
had two RBI in the inning, which saw Yale send 14 men to the plate.
Rallis and Moore both ripped RBI doubles in the frame as well.

After the Hawks cut the lead to nine runs at 13-5 with two in
the bottom of the fourth, Yale responded with three in the top of
the fifth inning to reclaim a double-digit lead at 16-5. Moore
started things off with a one-out single and moved to second when
Tobolowsky was hit by a pitch. Neil then singled to drive Moore
home, and Tobolowsky soon followed on a wild pitch. The third run
of the frame came on a deep drive to the gap off the bat of Elmore.
Andy Drexel tracked down the potential extra-base hit, but Neil
tagged up and scored easily from third base.

After Lally set down the Hawks in order to end his day, Moore
slapped his third hit- and second double- of the day to drive in
Rallis with the Bulldogs’ 17th and final run of the contest.

Senior right-hander Joe Castaldi toss two hitless innings of
relief to end the contest with Yale taking a 17-5 victory. The
captain of the Bulldogs issued one walk and had one strikeout.

Lally (3-0) allowed just two earned runs and three hits in five
innings to earn the win but issued eight walks in his 108-pitch
outing.

“Vinny struggled with his control, and that’s
something we need to fix before Ivy play,” said Stuper.
“But he battled like he always does and our hitters picked
him up.”

The Bulldogs will be back in action on Wednesday, traveling to
Storrs, Conn. for a 3 p.m. tilt with the University of Connecticut.
Opening day at Yale Field will be on Saturday, March 27, as Yale
hosts the New York Institute of Technology for a noon twinbill.